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Production of Transparent Soaps

Transparent soap was invented in 1807 by Andrew Pears. He introduced alcohol into the traditional soap making process, which prevented the mixture from separating into layers during boiling. This resulted in a translucent soap. It was later discovered that the process left glycerin in the finished soap, which made it moisturizing. Modern transparent soaps seek to replace glycerin with other solvents to prevent the soap from absorbing moisture from the air and "sweating" in humid environments. They contain a high percentage of glycerin or other humectants that provide moisturizing properties. Ethanol is commonly used to dissolve the soap and increase transparency.

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816 views

Production of Transparent Soaps

Transparent soap was invented in 1807 by Andrew Pears. He introduced alcohol into the traditional soap making process, which prevented the mixture from separating into layers during boiling. This resulted in a translucent soap. It was later discovered that the process left glycerin in the finished soap, which made it moisturizing. Modern transparent soaps seek to replace glycerin with other solvents to prevent the soap from absorbing moisture from the air and "sweating" in humid environments. They contain a high percentage of glycerin or other humectants that provide moisturizing properties. Ethanol is commonly used to dissolve the soap and increase transparency.

Uploaded by

Mahnoor
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PRODUCTION OF TRANSPARENT SOAPS

HISTORY:
In 1807, Andrew Pears introduced a new kind of Soap onto the market.
Traditionally, soap was made by boiling fats and oil with dilute lye. The
boiling mixture separated into two layers, the soap floating to the top, and
the spent lye settling to the bottom. The soap was skimmed off the top and
pressed into bars, while the lye was run to waste. When Pears introduced
alcohol into the process, the boiling mixture no longer separated into
layers. The soap, spent lye and alcohol remained mixed, and when the
mixture cooled, it solidified into translucent soap. The new Soap was an
instant hit

The process was a successful innovation, but its chemistry was not
understood for another 20 years. Michel Eugène Chevreul discovered that
fats react with lye to produce soap and glycerin. Since glycerin is soluble in
water, it was run to waste along with the spent lye in the traditional
process. The Pears process unwittingly left the glycerin in the finished soap.
Translucent and transparent soaps came to be called "glycerin" soaps, and
the general public refers to them as such to this very day.

A simple, meltable, transparent soap can be made by increasing the


percentage of glycerin to 50%. But so much glycerin may be too much of a
good thing. In lower concentrations, glycerin is a humectant, that is, it
draws moisture to the skin. But in concentrations this high, it is
deliquescent, drawing moisture from the air. A bar of this high-glycerin
transparent soap "sweats" in the humid environment typical of bathrooms.
Eventually, it will draw so much moisture from the air that it sits in a
puddle of its own making. Sweat is the enemy of glycerin soaps, and
modern formulations seek to replace glycerin with solvents that stay drier
under humid conditions.
TRANSPARENT SOAP:
INTRODUCTION:
Transparent soap covers someingredients and some materials that are
castor oil, cOconut oil used as main herbal oils, glycerine used for auxiliary
ingredient in the mixture Sorbitol and sucrose used for binder and
hardener, sodium hydroxide used for saponification by herbal oils, water
used for dissolving to sodium hydroxide and etc. The heat parameter is
important to produce clear glycerine transparent soap.

ADDITIVES:
Glycerol is used as an additive for
transparent soaps Structure of glycerin is
shown below:

Transparent soap is created by the semi


boiled process where the complete mixing
and the hardening period only takes a few
hours Initially the soap is made using the
hot process method where Iye (sodium
hydroxide), water and oils are mixed together

CHARACTERISTICS OF TRANSPARENT SOAPS:


The characteristics of transparent solid soap are water content (1.81-
4.39%), free alkali content (0.63-0.96%), Ph 11.31-11.81, hardness 0.42-
0.065 mm/g/s, and foam stability 69.70-85.45%.

WHICH ALCOHOL IS USED FOR TRANSPARENT


SOAPS?
ETHANOL
Transparent soaps are made by dissolving soaps in ethanol and evaporating
the excess solvent. Ethanol cannot make things invisible.
Note: We have to remember that transparent soap contains a high amount
of glycerin. It is often known as glycerin soap. An example of transparent
soap is Pears. Generally, glycerin attracts moisture and so these soaps are
more moisturizing when compared to soaps that are opaque, which has less
glycerin content.

BENEFITS OF GLYCERIN SOAP:


Unlike some soaps that dry skin out and make it feel tight and itchy,
glycerin soap is a humectant, which means it locks in moisture and keep
skin hydrated And that extra moisture does all sort of good things for your
skin

EXAMPLE;

The best known example of


such Soaps is Pears Soap This
is said to be tallow rosin soap
of high soap content made with
alcohol and containing some
glycerin The alcohol is
evaporated during the process
of manufacture, but the soap
remains permanently
transparent

It helps improve skin barrier


function, protects the skin from irritants, improves healing, and soothes
dry, irritated skin

HOW DO YOU INCREASE TRANSPARENCY IN SOAP?


A more usual method of manufacture however, is to add alcohol and
glycerol, in the proportion of about two parts of alcohol to one of glycerol,
to a hot saponified batch of semi boiled soap until a rapidly cooled sample
is clear, after which the batch is framed in usual way Sugar may also be
added

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